It's a shame Reinsdorf doesn't speak more often

Over the years, several Bulls staffers have told me chairman Jerry Reinsdorf is a genuinely nice person and a great boss.

I had little to say in response, because I barely knew the guy. I can think of maybe three or four times during 10 years of covering the Bulls full-time that I’ve spoken with Reinsdorf. A couple of those were when he was made available for other causes, such as the WNBA ticket experiment and dedication of a new basketball court in North Chicago.

Reinsdorf finally agreed to sit down with the team’s three beat writers on Monday and, really, it’s a shame he doesn’t talk more often. He was very thoughtful, friendly and open during the interview session. If I can appreciate hearing from Reinsdorf, fans of the Bulls and White Sox probably feel the same way.

One of the topics, though, was how much Reinsdorf dislikes the spotlight. He talked about getting into team ownership because of his love of sports, not to become a celebrity.

“If I want to go to a restaurant, I make a reservation and if they're booked, I don't go,” Reinsdorf said. “If I go into a restaurant and they want to comp me, I tell them, 'If you insist on comping me, I'm never coming back.' I'm just not a mooch. I just want to be a regular person, I just like being around sports.”

He also said he often wishes his last name were Smith or Johnson, because even when people don’t recognize his face when he’s out and about, they are familiar with the name.

Reinsdorf does do radio and television occasionally, but I’ve always thought if he was more accessible to the media, every little thing he says wouldn’t be so scrutinized. A classic example was the “season has been a disaster” comment on “Monsters in the Morning” last winter.

Maybe when he walked out of Monday’s discussion at the United Center, he vowed to avoid the Bulls writers for another 10 years. We’ll find out eventually.